Clean Slate Productions Presents: JOHN ABBOTT MITCHELL

The gaze huh? We could get into a whole discussion of "the male gaze" in filmmaking. Different but related. If I wanted to type an essay. But I'd rather prompt Brad to do it.
 
would you boys please quit Gazeing at each other.......not that there is any wrong with that....lol....gosh you guys are so Gaze....
 
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I just find the matching bald spots on Ben and Brad's heads to be a beautiful, tender thing...nothin wrong with that. Stop the gazing!
 
Mr. Osborne with the dynamite drop-in folks!

Just remember, he'll be here all night ... the 9 o'clock show is different from the 7:00 o'clock show, and don't forget to tip your waitresses.
 
Ben and Justin, great job. I love this character and the actor who played the role was perfect in the delivery.

I have to say some of the black and white shots were some of the best I have seen yet in this fest. You really nailed them. I did a music vid not so long ago with the face coming out of the water, so I can really appreciate that shot - though in my case it was a robot man. I liked the transition into it especially. The shots on the bench were also good.

There were two shots though that did not do it for me, these two are mere moments compared to the rest of the great stuff, so they really stuck out for me. 1/ When she sits at 1.01 the dolly to seemed fine, just when she sat I thought the focal length was neither here nor there. and 2/ actually this isnt so much the composition, the exterior shot at 5.36 - with the low shutter speed, just didnt seem to fit for me. A slow dolly toward the house IMO would have worked better, as you had a number of moving camera shots, and I felt this would have lead to the interior cut.

Also the foley sounded a little fake, though I liked the score and your sound was good.

This for me has some of the best shots of the fest.
 
I like your movie. The drama is great. The acting is very good. However, I'm not sure if the B&W scene fits into the mood of the movie. I would rather see it in colors with some really contrast lighting. One of the last scenes also has wrong WB. Other than that your movie is one of the best in this fest. Congrats!
 
Noel Evans said:
There were two shots though that did not do it for me, these two are mere moments compared to the rest of the great stuff, so they really stuck out for me. 1/ When she sits at 1.01 the dolly to seemed fine, just when she sat I thought the focal length was neither here nor there. and 2/ actually this isnt so much the composition, the exterior shot at 5.36 - with the low shutter speed, just didnt seem to fit for me. A slow dolly toward the house IMO would have worked better, as you had a number of moving camera shots, and I felt this would have lead to the interior cut.

Also the foley sounded a little fake, though I liked the score and your sound was good.

This for me has some of the best shots of the fest.
Click to expand...

Hey Noel, thanks for the watch and comments!

1. It's a pan on the long end of the lens from the other side of the street. We did it so that we could get the cars crossing in front of the lens and also have something that looked like John's POV. It's not the greatest, but your right, as far as local length goes, it's nothin' special.

2. That was a timelapse done with a DSLR, I can't lie to you and say that that shot wasn't a glaring black hole in my timeline for the longest time. And that's actually the 4th timelapse that I shot. I was going to do something creative with a day-night timelapse of the bench ... but went I went back to the location ... THE BENCH WAS GONE!!! I'm cutting a longer version right now, and that shot is on the chopping block. You are right, the transition could be a LOT cooler there.

I'm sure Justin will be happy with that last comment!

Thanks again!

Ben
 
Your main actor is fantastic and plays this part very well. That being said, this film didn't really capture my attention until the scene with John and the girl on the bench towards the end. The was that was constructed narrative-wise was really impressive and made me take notice. I also loved the reveal at the end just before the credits. Good stuff.
 
Absolutely Davis. And, i think John Abbott Mitchell may be battling a killer robot version of himself in the next film as well.
 
thats Awesome Goodness)))....Thankyou.........its all about production value......and capturing the audience.....oh Yeah......and Boobs and Rockits)
 
In the past few days, DVXuser Nick Lane sat down and chatted over AIM while simultaneously watching some of the TIMEFEST films. I call them, "The AIM sessions". Here's my thoughts on "JOHN ABBOTT MITCHELL"


conspiracypenguin (5:04:22 PM): That sounds good. Oh, hold on a minute, the film is done downloading.
sexycat (5:04:43 PM): Film, oh you dog! Tell me about it while...[innaproproate phrase]
conspiracypenguin (5:04:58 PM): lol. Hold on, I have to watch this.
conspiracypenguin (5:04:59 PM): Oh, I love the opening shot.
conspiracypenguin (5:05:00 PM): Feet close ups are cool.
sexycat (5:05:02 PM): I didn't realize you had a foot fetish...I just had a pedicure today.
conspiracypenguin (5:05:03 PM): Oh, no...you misunderstood.
sexycat (5:05:19 PM): You don't have a foot fetish?
conspiracypenguin (5:05:21 PM): No.
conspiracypenguin (5:05:39 PM): Can you be quiet for a minute, I am trying to watch this movie.
sexycat (5:05:43 PM): Why don't you tell me what's going on in this movie.
conspiracypenguin (5:05:46 PM): A guy is sitting on a bench smoking.
conspiracypenguin (5:05:49 PM): He is talking about some chick he wants to fu*k or kill or somehting.
sexycat (5:05:51 PM): Oh, so you like the movie style one's, huh?
conspiracypenguin (5:05:59 PM): What?
sexycat (5:06:02 PM): Pornos. You like the movie style pornos.
conspiracypenguin (5:06:08 PM): Pornos? No!
conspiracypenguin (5:06:10 PM): I am watching a movie for an online film contest.
sexycat (5:06:10 PM): But whatever happened to you...[innapropriate phrase]
conspiracypenguin (5:06:36 PM): Oh, that does sound like fun.
conspiracypenguin (5:06:48 PM): But the download is done, I have been waiting to watch this forever.
sexycat (5:07:00 PM): You're no fun anymore!
conspiracypenguin (5:07:04 PM): I'm sorry!
conspiracypenguin (5:07:05 PM): Can you please just hold on!
conspiracypenguin (5:07:06 PM): What the hell does that clock have to do with the story?
conspiracypenguin (5:07:07 PM): Now I have to start the damn thing over!
sexycat (5:07:19 PM): Screw you! I'm going back to Mark Johnson!
conspiracypenguin (5:07:23 PM): You know Mark Johnson? I know Mark Johnson!
sexycat (5:07:36 PM): So you're bi-sexual too? I'm sorry, I can't do this anymore!
conspiracypenguin (5:07:51 PM): Woah! No! That's not what I meant!
conspiracypenguin (5:08:00 PM): You know what? Fine!
conspiracypenguin (5:08:11 PM): I'll go back to that chat room and find another, better girl to have fun with!
sexycat (5:08:15 PM): Fine!

So there you have it, my thoughts on your film (along with the thoughts of some smokin' hot girl from Phoenix).

----------------------------------------------

Now for my real thoughts...

This film was one that I had on my list of ones I wanted to see. A funny tibit before I dive headfirst into my review: only just now did I realize the title was "John Abbott Mitchell" I have always thought it was "John Abbott Michael" for some reason. That'll teach me to scan too quickly.

At any rate, I really enjoyed this piece. Before I go further let me say that I have not yet seen "In Pieces" as during All Hollows Fest I was sort of in hiding. Another fun fact: I actually wrote a pretty terrible script for All Hollows Fest, but it never went any further than that.

Ah, yes, the review. While watching I felt this sort of struggle within myself, not sure whether to root for him or hate him completely. On the one hand, he is just a normal human being who has feelings for a beautiful girl and doesn't know how to go about them (and, in that sense, I am right there with him) but on the other hand, he is a cold blooded killer. That being said, upon my seccond viewing I realized that even I didn't quite understand the true nature of "thoe feelings" which only made my part harder. I enjoyed the contrast you illustrated, it almost confused me, but moreover it impressed me.

The acting was top notch from all ends. I know how hard it is to make a narrative piece work, but you did beautifully. I loved the opening shot witht he feet and dolly and, in fact, every subsequent shot from there on out. I was kept interested the entire way through, up to the end when I found myself thinking "Come on, dammit! There are only five seconds left! What is going to happen?" and then feeling that down the spine shiver with the final light flash.

Excellent work, and good luck!

PS: I freaked myself out while filling in that AIM session. The amount of lines I typed fit perfectly in the amount I had copied over from one of yours. Crazy!
 
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oh crap!!...there he is...get back to your ship...and your needles)........there are Great actors depending on you)...........
 
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